Chris Lien for Congress

The Mania of Automania

As souped-up roadsters and restored 1936 Chevy pickups filed in to line the streets of downtown Sioux Falls, a vehicle that fit neither of those descriptions managed to squeeze its way into the chaos of Automania. The Lien Machine, in all its massive, blue splendor (freshly washed after hitting mile 9,000 on the Listening Tour), set up shop Wednesday evening on the corner of 11th Street and Dakota Avenue to give car fans a look at Chris’s state-traveling carriage.

Ironically, we ended up on the same street with the only vehicle that might have beaten us in the overall size category, and while the 20-foot stretch-Hummer down the block may have been bigger, the Lien Machine definitely (and thankfully) gets better gas mileage.

After our esteemed driver, Courtney, navigated us through the narrow, car-condensed streets, we were able to set up shop and show off the blue behemoth known as the Lien Machine. Although quite a few cars had pretty nice paint jobs, only a few were as eye-catching as our van.

Walking the streets with Chris gave us a nice idea of the crowd. Quite the people-potpourri, the Automaniacs in the area were about as varied as the fish in the sea. From car junkies revving up their engines to the younger crowds just around to have fun and hear some music, Automania provided a broad spectrum of die-hard car fans and folks simply looking for something to do on a Wednesday night.

Fortunately, quite a few from both groups had an opportunity to get a look at the unique campaign element that is the Lien Machine. And while the Automania hosts politely requested that we not walk around passing out political pamphlets and t-shirts, the Lien Machine still managed to garner enough attention to make the trip worthwhile.

Besides, how much more fun can you have on a Wednesday night in the middle of June? It’s not every day that Main Street in Sioux Falls in jam-packed with more cars than an automobile dealership, and I think the entire Lien Machine crew had quite an experience.

How about you guys? I’d love to hear some of your experiences from this year’s (or any year’s) Automania festival. Were you showing off a 1966 Corvette or a 2003 Ferrari? Any cars besides the Lien Machine that just blew your mind? We’d love to hear from you, so leave a comment and let us know.

-Campaign Mike

Hitting mile 9,000 on the Listening Tour...

While you may have seen Chris’s name in the news recently for his scheduled trip to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, preparing to gather firsthand information on energy alternatives isn’t the only task on Chris’s plate right now. He’s still traveling the entire state on his “Lien Machine Listening Tour” in order to hear your views and opinions on the issues and concerns South Dakota faces, and he just passed mile 9,000 on that journey.

Consequently, I thought I’d fill you in on some of the stops he’s made recently. He’s certainly been hearing about the issues affecting South Dakotans on a daily basis; from Elkton to Astoria, Rosholt to Bridgewater, Chris visited 45 communities between June 10 and June 14 (if you don’t think he’s really been there, check out the photos on Chris’s Flickr account). Otherwise, you can take a look at some of the tweets from his Twitter feed to see where he’s been.

A few from June 10th:

Elkton, SD: We had a great start to the day in Elkton. Right now taking a windshield tour of the wind farm nearby.

Castlewood: Discussed several topics with much of the crew at Ida's Cafe in Castlewood.

Revillo: Social at the fire house in Revillo. Walked in with brochures and out with pie.

Milbank: Just leaving Milbank where I learned its most famous resident was Hugh Weber.

-- As a side note from me (Campaign Mike), I’d love to give Milbank an opportunity to refute this wild claim and restore its good name. Go ahead and just comment below, Milbank. --

Back to the tweets. Here are some from the 11th:

Watertown, SD: Very productive breakfast in Watertown. Had a chance to call into "What's Up" with David J. Law as well.

Britton, SD: Had a very nice conversation with former Governor Frank Farrar in Britton.

Rosholt, SD: The folks in Rosholt made a great point this afternoon. They are tired of DC making possible solutions so complicated.

Add a couple of June 12th stops:

Emery, SD: I had a very educational visit with a well read group of people at the Senior Center in Emery this morning.

Parkston, SD: Had a lively conversation with a Republican mom and Democrat daughter at the senior center in Parkston.

-- From what Chris has said, this spicy conversation still ended positively...ask him about it sometime when you get the chance. --

And, finally, a few more tweets to finish out some recent visits:

June 13, 2008
Harrisburg, SD: Made a loop through Harrisburg. Now it's back to Sioux Falls for the afternoon and up to Watertown tonight.

Watertown, SD: Had a wonderful time meeting and talking with so many patriots at the American Legion state convention in Watertown.

June 14, 2008
Alcester, SD: Learned a lot from the locals at DJ's in Alcester!

Elk Point, SD: Great group to meet and talk with at Cody's and Elk Point. Off to Jefferson!

Overall, Chris has been doing some heavy duty traveling. This is just a small sample of his latest tweets, and if you’re interested in seeing some more of them, go ahead and follow Chris on Twitter. He’s traveling a ton and loves the support he’s been receiving all around the region.

Whether he shows up at your local coffee shop for a cup of joe or stops at your Senior Center to discuss some issues with the local folks, Chris is looking forward to meeting you as the Listening Tour continues on. I certainly hope you’re looking forward to meeting with him because he's made it his mission to get there at all costs.

-Campaign Mike

Go west young van...

If you asked me which five hour drive I enjoy making the most, I would, without hesitation, reply that I love going from Sioux Falls to Rapid City whenever the opportunity arises. Fortunately for me and the rest of the Lien Machine crew, that opportunity arose, and we had the option of making that exciting five hour journey. So what did we do? We grabbed a box of donuts, piled into the Lien Machine, and headed west on I-90 toward the scenic Black Hills. And stopped at a few fun places along the way.

First up on our trek was the ever-unique, nationally-renowned Corn Palace of Mitchell, South Dakota. For some of us (myself), this was a first-time visit to the Taj Majal of maize. For others (everyone else on the trip), it was a chance to remember various basketball games, field trips, and general enjoyable experiences in the steadily-blossoming town of Mitchell. After our fair share of oohs and ahhs (mostly mine), it was time to pile back into the Lien Machine and visit the next of South Dakota’s numerous treasures.

Upon reaching the Missouri River crossing in Chamberlain, we opted to take the bridge rather than trying to caulk the Lien Machine and float it (Oregon Trail style), which worked to our benefit. After taking a few shots of the van in action, we moved along on our quest to Rapid City. Did I mention it was absolutely gorgeous the entire day? Because it definitely was.

My personal favorite stop of the journey came in Wall. For those of you who don’t know, there’s a drugstore in Wall called Wall Drug. And it’s big and awesome. While some of us shopped for cowboy hats and boots, others searched for posters and decorations for our Lien Machine campaign offices. Of course, we couldn’t stay all day (no matter how fun the water fountains and Jackalope might be), and we piled back in and moved along. It was Rapid City or bust from that point on, and after a five hour drive turned into eight hours, we reached our destination.

A quick break at the Chris Lien for Congress office in Rapid City to see Lynn, a stop at the hotel to drop off our bags, and a wonderful evening of dinner in the Lien family household led us to a night of much-deserved rest – we’ve got a busy night ahead of us for the Lincoln Day Dinner and we’re looking forward to it. We may only be in Rapid City for two nights, but we plan on making the most of it. If you’re around, we’ll see you at the dinner tonight. Otherwise, check in for an update tomorrow on how everything went. Until then, I’m going to go enjoy the mountainous landscape and clean air of Rapid City. Try not to get too jealous.

A Busy Day for Chris

For those of you not on Twitter, here are a few of Chris’s  recent tweets. By a few, I mean a bunch, and by recent, I mean today. It  was a very busy Wednesday.

-“Cup  of coffee to start the day at the Bakery and Coffee Bar in Flandreau. Great  conversation and good coffee.” – around 10:15 am.

-“Quick  stop in Colman. Great conversation at Tim's Repair. Topic of the Day: Fishing.”  – around 11:15 am.

-“Talked  to Hef at Hef's Barber and Shoe in Chester. Also talked to several folks at the  Old Farmhouse Cafe.” – around 11:45 am.

-“Taking  photos in front of the Prostrollo white buffalo in Madison.” – around 12:30 pm.

-“Just  leaving Madison after meeting with some great people at the DQ. Had a nice chat  with Russ Olson as well.” – around 1:30 pm.

-“Heading west after stopping through Winfred and Howard.  It's great to see everyone out in the fields on a sunny day!” – around 2:15 pm.

-“Met some  nice folks in Fedora and Artesian. It was great to see the American flag flying  next to the Artesian sign!” – around 2:40 pm.

-“In Woonsocket and got to  see the 100 year old courthouse while talking with the Mayor on 6th Street.” –  around 3:30 pm.

-“Just had the chance to  introduce myself and visit with the crew at the Wheat Growers Coop in Cavour.”  – about 4:30 pm.

-“Had a fun time walking  up and down Main Street in De Smet. I met some very nice and interesting  people.” – around 5:15 pm.

-“Just  finished making our way through Lake Preston and Arlington. Now it's on to  Sioux Falls and catch up with the crew.” – around 5:20 pm.

I say any day that includes two good coffee shops, a  combined barber and shoe shop, a  gigantic white buffalo, and a stop at Dairy Queen is my kind of day. I’ve  really gotta spend more time on the road with these guys.

Chris’s  campaign manager Hugh also got in on the Twittering action at about 10:30 this  morning:
  -“Chris stopped the van  in Egan to talk to some guys doing concrete work. We may be spending the day.  –Hugh”

Fortunately,  Hugh managed to avert a potential delay in the Listening  Tour because if anyone can hold an engaging conversation about concrete,  Chris can. Good thing the guys were able to keep things on track and didn’t end  up “spending the day” in Egan. While that wouldn’t have been a bad thing, Chris  has plenty more stops left on the Lien  Machine Listening Tour. Visiting twenty towns in eight hours is tough work,  but at least it’s fun work. Way to be on the grind guys.

-Campaign  Mike

Lien Machine Listening Tour

    Chris is jumping behind the wheel of the Lien Machine to kick off his listening tour throughout the state of South Dakota. The goal? To find out what the people he wants to serve   have to say and want to know. And while a listening tour may not be the newest concept in the world, the Lien Machine Listening Tour will be unique because Chris is actually putting the listen back into “listening tour.” This is a chance for Chris to hear from and meet with the people whose voices he is excited to represent, and with the Lien Machine blazing a trail through as many towns as possible, Chris will be hearing some great input from every part of the state.

The Lien Machine at the South Dakota - Wyoming border. 

    Although phenomenal photo opportunities are sure to present themselves along the way, they will be kept to a politically uncharacteristic minimum. It’s not a photo op tour. It’s a listening tour. Of course, the blog would be a little dull without a photo here or there, so shots of Chris standing by “Welcome to…” signs and notable landmarks will dominate the camerawork this time around. Keep in mind, this isn’t a chance for Chris to smile with a resident and move to the next city. This is an opportunity for him to genuinely soak in what it is that the people of South Dakota truly need and want from their U.S. Representative.

    So be on the lookout for the Lien Machine to come rolling into your town. And when that blue van pulls up to your local coffee shop or city park, take a minute or two to talk to Chris and share with him what’s on your mind. Don’t worry about being a victim of the political greet and flee – Chris is on a mission beyond piling on the mileage and flashing some smiles. He’s coming through to learn what it is that will give South Dakota back the voice it deserves, and that voice belongs to you. And on this listening tour, your strong, South Dakota voices are exactly what Chris wants to hear.

Response to Ed from Newell

When I was in Newell last week, I met a group of coffee-drinking ranchers at the Blue Line Cafe that asked some pretty direct questions.  The one that stuck out was from Ed, who asked "How does the voice of rural America get heard?"

For the rural voice of South Dakota to be heard, simply put, I think it takes education and initiative.  I think that what we need is a representative that will bring their colleagues from larger urban areas to the small towns of South Dakota so they can see and hear the concerns of our state face-to-face.  This needs to happen as often as possible, not just in an election year.

I think it takes initiative and leadership from all levels of the community, from local citizens to the congressional delegation. Stopping by every couple years and making promises or telling a good
story isn't going to solve the problems we have.  We need people stepping forward that are willing to do the hard work to make things happen.